Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Domino’s Malaysia–in its desire to create their version of the cheeseburger pizza–launched the Domino’s Double Cheeseburger, its latest offering featuring must-have burger staples into a single pizza, featuring tasty burger toppings and a unique burger crust.

As part of this launch, Domino’s also introduced two playful characters Toppy and Rak Rak, who are representations of the pizza and burger combination in the ‘Find Your Double’ activation whilst handing out free samples of the new Domino’s Double Cheeseburger Pizza.

For this launch, FCB SHOUT, the lead creative agency for Domino’s Pizza Malaysia, kicked off the campaign by teasing the launch of a new Domino’s burger, but the twist at the end ultimately revealed the brand’s surprise new offering.

Linda Hassan, group chief marketing officer at Domino’s Pizza Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia, said, “Inspired by our customers’ feedback, we’ve developed a new product strategy to introduce two burgers in one pizza, specifically designed to be delivered. To top it off, we’ve paired it with Crispy Fries and Loaded Cheeseburger Crispy Fries for the full combo experience. What makes this product uniquely Domino’s is the combination of cheeseburger toppings and a burger-stuffed crust—something that’s never been done before.”

Meanwhile, Boon Chuan Suah, creative director at FCB SHOUT, said, “We knew it wasn’t about the format of a burger pizza but about what makes the product uniquely Domino’s. It’s about conveying to our fans that once again, Domino’s is delivering “More”. In this case, it’s about doubling the delight by having two typical cheeseburgers experiences in one pizza.” 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – DPE Global Services Centre in Malaysia–Domino’s administrative and support services arm–has tapped Salihah Noh to the role of digital & marketing tower lead. It is worth noting that while the company is based in Malaysia, it also supports Domino’s operations across Asia-Pacific and Europe across 12 markets. 

In an exclusive interview with MARKETECH APAC, Salihah stated that her role entails working with the local markets to increase brand awareness, engage customers, and drive sales through digital channels together with the markets.

“Our mission is to create a world-class marketing function that drives growth and enhances the Domino’s brand. We focus on streamlining marketing processes, sharing best practices across markets, and building a world-class global services centre. By leveraging data insights and digital channels, we aim to deliver exceptional marketing services that support Domino’s overall business objectives,” she said.

Salihah added, “My team is responsible for a wide range of marketing activities, including developing digital products, managing customer relationships, enhancing customer experiences, and leveraging data insights to make informed decisions.”

What to prioritise on new role

When asked about what she aims to achieve in her digital and marketing services leadership role, Salihah stated that she will spearhead the development and execution of a world-class marketing function within Domino’s Pizza Enterprise Global Services Center.

“We’re committed to driving growth and enhancing brand value across our Asia Pacific and European markets. To achieve this, we’re building a centralised team of digital marketing experts who can share best practices and collaborate seamlessly,” she said.

She also highlighted five key attributes that she aims to prioritise: building a centre of excellence, standardisation and optimisation, talent development, data-driven decision-making, and global collaboration.

For her, improvement of the company’s tools and processes relies on establishing a shared service centre that becomes a hub for digital and marketing expertise, identifying and nurturing top talent across the organisation. Moreover, there should be also implementation of standardised processes, tools, and metrics to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. 

“By benchmarking against industry best practices, we can optimise our operations and deliver superior results,” she noted.

Salihah also remarked on how the company will continue leveraging data analytics to identify trends, measure performance, and optimise marketing campaigns, and that by harnessing the power of data, they can make informed decisions and deliver greater ROI.

People-wise, she stated that investing in their team’s growth through providing opportunities for skill development, training, and exposure to emerging technologies, will foster a culture of innovation and enable us to stay ahead of industry trends. Lastly, by fostering collaboration among different markets to share knowledge, best practices, and insights–said cross-functional approach will drive innovation and accelerate their time-to-market.

“A core focus is establishing a robust shared service centre that provides efficient and scalable marketing & digital solutions. By standardising processes, leveraging data analytics, and investing in our team’s development, we aim to optimise performance and deliver exceptional results. We’re also dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, enabling us to stay ahead of industry trends and meet the evolving needs of our customers,” she explained.

Bringing recent leadership learnings to new role

Prior to joining DPE Global Services Centre Malaysia, Salihah was most recently the group head of marketing for digital, performance and CRM at Boost where she oversaw the overall drive of the company’s E2E strategy, planning and growth of the marketing activity across the digital marketing team, performance campaign management, CRM team as well as financial services vertical. Prior to Boost, she was Astro’s senior assistant vice president of digital innovations and customer experience.

Looking back, Salihah said that her previous roles at Astro and Boost have provided her with a strong foundation for the new leadership role at Domino’s Global Shared Service Center.

“At Astro, I honed my ability to innovate and deliver exceptional customer experiences. This deep understanding of customer needs and behaviours is invaluable in developing effective marketing strategies and digital touchpoints for Domino’s,” she said.

Salihah added, “My tenure at Boost equipped me with a robust skill set in digital marketing and performance optimisation. I successfully drove digital growth and achieved measurable results through data-driven campaigns. These experiences are directly transferable to Domino’s, where I can leverage digital channels to increase brand awareness, drive sales, and enhance customer engagement.”

She further explained that while she hasn’t held a traditional shared services role, her experience in managing cross-functional teams and optimising processes at both Astro and Boost has prepared her to build and lead a high-performing shared service centre for Domino’s.

“While the food industry presents unique challenges, I believe my ability to understand customer behaviour, leverage digital platforms, and drive operational excellence will be instrumental in achieving Domino’s business objectives,” she said.

Tackling F&B’s complex challenges in new role

When asked about the marketing challenges in the F&B industry, she notes that said industry is currently facing a complex set of challenges, including economic uncertainty, characterised by rising inflation and economic downturns, and has significantly impacted consumer spending habits. 

“Simultaneously, maintaining affordability without compromising product quality is a delicate balancing act as costs continue to rise. The industry must also adapt to evolving consumer preferences, which lean towards healthier, sustainable, and personalised food options,” she stated.

On another note, Salihah said that the rapid pace of technological advancement necessitates substantial investments in digital platforms, data analytics, and delivery infrastructure to stay competitive. Moreover, the intense competition within the F&B market requires strong brand differentiation, exceptional customer experiences, and effective loyalty programs to thrive.

For the people’s side, she stated that the ongoing talent shortage across various roles presents significant hurdles in acquiring and retaining skilled employees, demanding innovative recruitment and retention strategies. For her, these challenges collectively impact the industry’s profitability and growth, necessitating strategic and adaptive responses.

To overcome these challenges, Salihah believes that the future of F&B lies in creating deeply connected relationships with customers and that authenticity is key. 

“People crave real connections. We’ll focus on creating content that is genuine, relatable, and inspiring. By sharing our story and the stories of our customers, we can build a loyal and passionate community,” she said.

She added, “We believe in a world where every interaction with Domino’s feels personal and meaningful. By harnessing the power of data, we can tailor experiences to individual preferences, from the moment a customer visits our website to the moment they enjoy their pizza.”

Salihah also stresses the importance of innovation in the F&B space, a key objective for DPE Global Services Centre Malaysia to improve Domino’s operations in APAC and Europe.

“Innovation is at the heart of what we do. We’re constantly exploring new ways to delight our customers, whether it’s through cutting-edge technology, unique product offerings, or unforgettable in-store experiences. We’re committed to creating moments that go beyond just delivering a pizza; we want to create memories,” she concluded.

Sydney, Australia – In collaboration with creative agency It’s Friday, popular pizza brand Domino’s in Australia released a nationwide campaign, featuring its Group CEO and Managing Director Don Meij making an apology for bombarding people with deals.

Of course, presented only as a humorous hit, the campaign tackles the dilemma of Domino’s ‘hard-to-keep-track-of’ deals across Australia and New Zealand. With the creative narrative in place, Domino’s Australia announces the launch of a new money-saving technology innovation which is set to be released on December 12 this year. 

The tech is expected to help resolve the experience for customers and make it easier to save, store, and redeem all of Domino’s deals in the future.

Adam Ballesty, CMO of Domino’s ANZ, said they are ‘obsessed’ with listening to their customers, which pushes them to transform the deal redemption experience. 

Vince Lagana, chief creative officer of It’s Friday, also said, “The teaser’s a fun way to remind people that Domino’s are unbeatable when it comes to offering great value by recognising that it’s near impossible to keep track of all their deals. But they’re going to keep coming, so we’re making sure people know they’ll soon be able to get those deals, without the ordeal.”

Meanwhile, Pete Bosilkovski, CEO of It’s Friday, added, “It’s refreshing to work with a company that isn’t afraid to be authentic and lead by example. Having the ‘big cheese’ apologise nationally about the sheer number of deals is massive. Says a lot about this company.”

Domino’s Australia has also previously released a 3-minute film titled ‘Hot & Fresh’, which launched across TV, YouTube, digital, and social platforms in the ANZ region.

Singapore – Domino’s Pizza Singapore is set to be part of Australian-based Domino’s Pizza Enterprises (DPE) group, the largest international Domino’s group outside of the United States, via a proposed acquisition. DPE operates 3,400 Domino’s stores in ten markets globally.

Through the proposed acquisition, DPE entered into a binding agreement with Impress Foods–which owns full ownership of Domino’s Pizza Singapore and 65% of Domino’s Pizza Cambodia; Mikenwill (M), as well as with minority shareholders in Cambodia for the remaining 35% stake in the market. Mikenwill owns full control of Dommal Food Services Sdn Bhd, the master franchise holder in Malaysia.

DPE will fully acquire Domino’s Pizza businesses in Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia, comprising 287 corporate stores across these markets. The binding agreement entails acquisition of the corporate stores and franchise rights held by Mikenwill (M) and Impress Foods. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

Within Southeast Asia, Impress Foods manages the Singapore and Cambodia markets with 38 and 9 stores respectively, while Dommal Food Services manages 240 stores in Malaysia. DPE aims to achieve a store count of 3,000 stores in Asia by 2033.

Ba U Shan-Ting, group chief executive officer at Domino’s Pizza Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia, said, “We are excited for the next phase of evolution for Domino’s Pizza in Singapore and the region. In tandem with this, we aim to expand the number of stores to more than 600 over the long term, setting us on the path to becoming the largest pizza chain in the three countries.”

Meanwhile, Michael Chick, Chief Executive Officer for Singapore & Cambodia, will continue to lead his team in serving the Singapore market.

“Our team will become part of the largest Domino’s network outside of the USA, giving us access to new technology and operational innovations that will propel our services to new heights as we deliver customers a more rewarding ordering experience, for hot, freshly prepared meals delivered to their door,” Chick said. 

He added, “Leveraging on our in-depth understanding of our local market segment and driven by our commitment to our customers, we aim to elevate an enhanced end-to-end experience with new global capabilities including marketing and menu innovation, to efficiently serve the most delicious meals to our customers.”

Lastly, DPE Group CEO & Managing Director Don Meij said, “We have seen fantastic growth in the Singapore market and we admire the commitment, agility and drive of the local team, spearheaded by its leadership team. Their love for the brand and equally important, their pledge to their customers, are key contributing factors to their success in growing the business and serving customers, especially during the challenging times of the pandemic.”

Australia – Pizza brand Domino’s has appointed Adam Ballesty, former general manager at beverage company Seedlip APAC, to be the new chief marketing officer for its operations in Australia and New Zealand. The appointment will take effect on 2 August 2021.

Ballesty takes over Allan Collins who has resigned from the position after almost 15 years.

Ballesty brings with him decades of experience in the industry. Aside from his previous role at Seedlip, Ballesty has also held senior marketing roles with brands including Foxtel, Diageo, and Pacific Brands. He has also managed his own strategy and research business, working on start-ups such as sportswear company Skins and retail company Unistraw.

As the new CMO at Domino’s ANZ, Ballesty will be responsible for all facets of consumer marketing including brand, digital marketing, communications, and product development, as well as leading the development of Domino’s innovation pipeline moving forward. 

In addition, Ballesty will be a member of Domino’s ANZ executive team, working closely with Nick Knight, the CEO of Domino’s ANZ, to continue driving the strategic and creative direction of the brand.

Knight commented that they are excited to have someone of Ballesty’s caliber join Domino’s and are looking forward to the new energy, passion, and direction he will bring to the role as they continue on their journey of growth, improving the customer experience and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. 

“We are confident he will add immense value to the dynamic and innovative marketing team we have here at Domino’s and can’t wait to see what he does in the role,” said Knight.